As if Labor Day weekend and the kids returning to school weren't enough nails in summer's coffin...Ice Hockey has begun!! Yup, we went to two of my little bro Walt's games this weekend. Granted, it's not the "real" ice hockey season, not his highschool team, but still Ice hockey. 80 degrees outside and 30 degrees inside. It's a bit surreal when you step back from it but all the hockey parents at the games see nothing strange about it since they've all been at this since their 17 year olds were 6!
This is it for little Walt. His senior year. He started school on Thursday and already I'm full with the feelings of his impending graduation. We went cruising around the Jersey Shore with him again Saturday night and since college is imminent we decided to take a walk through a nearby campus. The courtyards around the dorms were full of underclassmen that looked exactly like Walt. There was that first week of school electricity in the air. Lots of kids coming from and heading off to their first college parties. Walt assured me and Aaron that we look 19 (hah!) and that we'd blend right in. At one point we crossed the campus and walked through the hulking main buildings where classes are held and Walt had one of those moments when your soul speaks before your brain even thinks...he said "wow, I'm definitely not ready for this yet." In essence he said what I was thinking. He's little Walty, the kid me and Aaron took out to eat and for some nutty reason he'd tell the waitress it was his birthday. The waitress asked how old he was now and he said "fibe", which was how he pronounced five. We looked at Walty like he was crazy but we went along with his fake birthday bit and he smirked at us like a little devil while the wait staff brought him a slice of cake with candle and all sang happy birthday. He was a sneaky little guy. He could turn a quarter into five bucks in a matter of 15 minutes! Anyway, I guess he sorta sees himself the way we all do... "the baby". I think he looked at all those big columned buildings, those strange kids from all over, the rolling manicured lawns, the sprawling campus maps...and he thought "wait, who's gonna help me pick out my outfits? Who's gonna help with my homework? Who am I gonna bounce off of ? When do I eat and where do I eat? Am I gonna be able to sleep without clutching my dog Arnold? Who's gonna feed my turtles?...wow, I'm definitely not ready for this yet."
It was a touching moment and me and Aaron both reacted with a purposeful non-reaction. We nodded, kept walking, and waited until we dropped off Walt to discuss it. We want him to decide for himself if he's ready to go off to a full time college or first spend a couple semesters at community college. Hockey will figure heavily into what school he chooses but I'm thinking that he'll need to stay close to home in Jersey. He's "the baby".
Ok, I'll stop. Imagine if I was a mom?! I'd be intolerable!!
Alright, just like our 'little' Charlotte we now have The 'little' Well Read Raven. He's now in handheld size! And we've been busy but we promise that new paintings are coming and we're planning them so they look great grouped. They'll all come in 11 x 14 and 5 x 7 so you can do a big grouping or a mini grouping all in uniform size.
* lil' Raven listed here!
or here!
Oh and check these cuties out! My good friend Jen Duncan sent them to me and for a while they've been out of circulation. Jen emailed me to see if I got them and in fact, I had not. Of course I first panicked and thought they were sitting in Newman's apartment. ( if that last sentence is meaningless to you then I applaud you for not keeping ancient Seinfeld episodes stored in your brain...but maybe if I spew out those references then I'll make room upstairs for more meaningful thoughts and memories!) Anyway, I took a shot in the dark and mentioned to my neighbor if she received my package in error. Well, the fact that you're looking at these pictures proves that she did receive my package. She put it in the backseat of her car, planned to give it to me when she saw me next and then...completely forgot (messy backseat!). Well here they are in all their adorable glory and I belatedly thank the wonderful Jen Duncan! The funny thing aboutthese is that I planned on bidding on these on ebay and as I tried to snipe them at the ending of the auction I noticed that the eventual winner had a very familiar name. I emailed Jen to congratulate her on her win and to let her know that great minds think alike! Then Jen emails me back and says she has to share the wealth and that she's sending me three! They came to me with the original faded pastel napkins but Jen also included three "new vintage" replacement napkins by Cath Kidston...love the Cath color palette! Jen you really are just too darn sweet!! Thanks girl!
I'm really excited for my blogiversary! This Tuesday the 11th! I'm planning a a BIG give-away so make sure you stop by. Until then I'm locking in...no cruising, no hockey games, I have to work work work! See you next time!
xoxo Jenny!
